More Crap From the Inbox of Doc Sleaze

Whilst I don't get those requests from TV researchers trying to get in touch with various (fictional) characters from The Sleaze, in between all the e-mails about viagra, or from lonely Russian women seeking soul mates, my inbox does occasionally still see some strange unsolicited missives. Recently, for instance, I got an e-mail from an aspiring politician which took the form of a piece of would-be satire. Now, quite why anyone who openly identifies themselves as a political activist should imagine that I would publish such an obvious piece of propaganda (if, indeed, that was their intent), I really don't know. I suppose that on one level I should be flattered, after all, it implies that the sender of the e-mail thinks that The Sleaze and Sleaze Diary might actually have some influence when it comes to forming people's opinions. Thankfully, they don't. For one thing, they simply don't have that great a reach. Moreover, a lot of their readers aren't from the UK. I'd actually be very worried if anybody based their voting intentions on anything we published.

I suspect that the individual concerned became confused after misreading an earlier post here, in which I lamented the type of people who had been elected to parliament over the past few decades. A closer reading would reveal that I wasn't actually calling for an end to the current system of party politics. Indeed, I actually made clear that without party affiliations, it would be damn near impossible for our elected representatives to achieve anything - collective action is the only way to achieve political change. Hence my opposition toward so-called independent, celebrity or novelty candidates - they are ultimately utterly ineffective in properly representing the interests of their constituents. However, the e-mail's sender misunderstood us in one other important respect - only I get to make politically partisan rants and comments in Sleaze-land. Even then they're confined to editorials or this blog. So, let me make it perfectly clear to any potential contributors - we don't endorse any individual political parties or groups (although it is no secret where my sympathies lie), and I won't allow the publication of any 'satire' pieces which are actually thinly-disguised party political propaganda.